EBR’s Geoff May aboard the 1190 RSHero MotoCorp EBR in World SuperbikeDuring the 2012 AMA SuperBike Championship, we caught up with Erik Buell at New Jersey Motorsports Park. As we discussed his team’s progress with 2012 riders Geoff May and Danny Eslick, Buell was asked about the possibility of Erik Buell Racing (EBR) competing in World Superbike.
Buell said the Wisconsin-based EBR wasn’t quite there yet, but World SBK was a major goal. And following much work, this goal will be achieved in 2014.EBR made the announcement after unveiling its 1190 RX during the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) in Orlando this past week. This is exciting news for stateside World SBK fans, considering EBR will be the first American brand to compete in the series since its debut in 1988.But one thing EBR didn’t initially reveal was the rider. At AIMExpo, we asked multiple times, but the EBR staff remained hush. That was until Sunday when the team confirmed that the Geoff May will pilot the EBR during the 2014 World Superbike season.As for the bike, May will compete on the new EBR 1190 RX, not the 1190 RS that was used in AMA Superbike. For the AMA series, EBR only needed to produce 125 1190 RS production superbikes for homologation to compete. But for World SBK, the rules are different. Only 125 production motorcycle must be manufactured prior to homologation inspection, but 15 days before the last race of the 2014 World SBK series, 1000 motorcycles must be produced.Because EBR plans on building 1,000 1190 RX superbikes during its first production run set for December, meeting World SBK homologation requirements will not be an issue.EBR will race with the same main sponsor as its AMA Superbike team, Hero MotoCorp – the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer based out of India. On a side note, in 2014 EBR dealers will also offer Hero MotoCorp products in the US. EBR says it will offer three Hero motorcycles and one scooter, though the models have yet to be decided.As for May, his been with Buell since the beginning of its AMA Pro Racing career. The 33-year old of Atlanta, Georgia, joined AMA Pro Racing in 2004 as a privateer, and earned a ride with M4 EMGO Suzuki for the 2005 season. He rode Suzuki GSX-R machinery until campaigning a Buell 1125R in 2010 AMA SuperBike.He continued with Buell machinery, and in 2012, the first full year of the EBR team, May finished fifth overall, having earned nine top-five finishes, including a podium at Infineon. As for EBR, it finished third in the manufacturer’s standings. For the 2013 AMA SuperBike Championship, May finished ninth overall.May’s biggest challenge will be learning the European circuits, a feat other Americans like Ben Spies accomplished through video games. And with the World Superbike testing ban effective Dec. 1 through Jan. 15, May won’t have much time for testing.As of this writing, two things are yet to be determined – May’s teammate and the location of the EBR team, which will likely be Europe. These updates should arrive soon…
Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory + Steve ’Stavros’ Parrish
byMotos and Friends by Ultimate Motorcycle
Hello everyone and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly podcast—Motos and Friends. My name is Arthur Coldwells.
Our first segment features the new Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory. Senior Editor Nic de Sena brings us his report on the flagship version of Aprilia’s upright middleweight machine. He gives us insight into whether it’s worth spending the extra money on the Factory version, and also of course, whether this sporting Aprilia is really the motorcycle for you.
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The next guest segment of Motos and Friends is brought to you by the faster and most technologically advanced, 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa—one of the most iconic sportbikes ever. Check it out in person at your local Suzuki dealer now, or visit suzukicycles.com to learn more.
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In this segment, Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with (arguably) one of the most interesting Suzuki race riders of all time. the iconic RG500 alongside teammate double World Champion Barry Sheene. The two were almost as famous for their exploits off-track, as for their success on it. Those were the days! Steve also raced the Isle of Man TT for about ten years where he won 13 Silver Replicas, and got a podium finish. His insight into that particular brand of mayhem are fascinating.
But there’s waaay more to Steve Parrish than his motorcycle racing. He is also the most successful Semi-Truck racer ever, and, little known piece of useless trivia—he’s my birthday twin: 24th February. He is a natural entertainer and you can’t miss his recounting of the world’s most entertaining—and arguably terrifying—double-decker bus ride ever. If any of you were actually on that hell-ride then we’d love to hear from you!